After Saving Draco [ONGOING / REWRITING]

chapter two

Tala. 245 days before May 4, 1999.

      "Now," Headmistress McGonagall started again after the first years got sorted. "Will Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger come up here please?"

      Whispers in the Great Hall began to grow louder as Hermione and Neville made their way up to the front of the room nervously, unsure of what they're being called up for. But McGonagall only smiled at them greatly, pinning shiny gold badges on their robes, right next to their Gryffindor crests.

      "I present to you all the Head Boy and Head Girl for this school year!" McGonagall cheered.

      The whispers instead turned into loud roars, especially from the Gryffindor table, fitting since their crest is a lion. Everyone but the Slytherin table clapped and cheered for them, not caring at all. 

      I was the only exception, standing on my seat at the Slytherin table as I yelled and cheered for my friends, Draco beside me groaning in embarrassment as I clapped.

      "Woo!" I screamed as I cupped a megaphone on my lips with my hands, pointing at them. "Those are my friends!"

      "Dumb girl, sit!" Draco ordered as he pulled me down aggressively to sit again. "You're embarrassing me."

      I ignored him, watching Hermione and Neville proudly walk back to their seats at the Gryffindor table as the cheering died down.

      "I'm gonna go say hi," I told Draco quickly as he waved me off, not even looking at me and went back to chatting with him friends.

     I sat next to Harry who was fifth wheeling Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Neville. Each couple congratulating each other with pecks and hugs.

     "Good job guys," I told them. "This means you can give me house points since I'm your favorite, right?" I pleaded jokingly, batting my eyelashes.

      They all laughed at that and thanked me, the loud chatter in the Great Hall dying out once McGonagall spoke again.

      "And I'm pleased to also announce that the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Bill Weasley." She said, pointing to Bill as everyone cheered.

      "Easy pass!" Ron shot his fist into the air as he cheered, making everyone chuckle.

      "And the student helper will be no other than our very own," McGonagall continued as she pointed at our direction. "Harry Potter!"

      I was as surprised as everyone else as Harry stood up for a moment and bowed lightly, waving off the cheers that he had received. I continued to clap for him, even though everyone else had already stopped.

      "The boy who lived, lived to be Professor Potter," I teased him as I playfully bumped our shoulders. "You better give me a passing grade."

      "Of course," Harry snorted.

      I looked around at my friends, realizing that every one of them had big things coming for them. Even Luna spent the summer volunteering with Hagrid and Ron started his auror training earlier than Harry. I was proud of them but I couldn't help but think I was falling behind, knowing that there's a chance that I didn't have a future at all.

      "I feel a little unaccomplished right now," I muttered to myself, thinking out loud as I ate a spoonful of jelly.

     "Don't say that," Harry said, hearing what I had said. "You're the chosen one in a way too, you know."

     I turned to him and gave him a puzzled look, tilting my head. "What do you mean?" I asked, taking another bite.

      "You're The Girl Who Survived," Harry smiled at me as the Great Hall's bewitched roof sparkled his blue eyes. "Just like me."

       I pouted my lips and pulled my eyebrows in at that, pushing his face away with my hand teasingly from fluster as I shook my head and laughed.

      "You're sweet," I smiled, bumping our arms playfully again.

      Harry only smiled at that and we all finished eating as McGonagall began to dismiss us. His smile disappeared once a cough from behind us crept up.

      Draco was standing there with a blank expression, his hands inside the pockets of his black suit as if telling me silently that it's time to go.

      "Potter," he greeted as he bit his tounge, trying not to sound bitter. "Weasleb-Weasley," he caught himself. "Lovegood, Longbottom, Granger," he finished greeting carefully, especially at Hermione's name.

      Good boy.

      "Malfoy," they all greeted in unison, staring at each other blankly. Not overly nice but not mean either, trying to tolerate each other.

      Good boys and girls.

      "Look at you guys," I told them all as I clapped my hands together. "Good job doggies." I joked.

      I got chuckles from my friends as they went back to talk amongst themselves, meanwhile I followed Draco back to the Slytherin tables and met up with his friends.

"Blackwell," Goyle greeted blankly.

"Goyle."

Goyle wouldn't admit it but he was a little intimidated by me, especially after I attacked him outside of the Room of Requirement after the war. Draco and I agreed to tolerate each other's friends, but it didn't stop us from still disliking them.

We all walked back down to the Dungeons and into the Slytherin common rooms together. Draco had his arm around my neck proudly as he talked to Blaise and Goyle. And Pansy stayed walking beside me, silent unlike her usual outgoing self.

The boys stayed at the couches while Pansy and I left early for the dorms. Millicent and Tracy were no where to be seen, leaving Pansy and I in the room together. Tension filled in for the silence, both of us unsure if we should break it or not as we unpacked our bags and luggages.

"I suppose if there's any girl worthy of Draco other than I," Pansy said, breaking the silence as she walked and reached me. "I suppose it would be you."

"You're perfect," she spat bitterly as she began circling me. "Daughter of Elena Flores, the brightest witch of her time in school. And daughter of Severus Snape, the most skilled Potions Master that has walked these halls, a Ravenclaw and a Slytherin — a powerful pair." She said as she pierced her hazel eyes onto me. "Loved by all in our house after your noble act in the war to defend us, defending me. Envied by all girls and desired by all boys," she whispered cunningly, glancing up and down at my entirety.

"Beautiful, powerful, and pureblood," Pansy said admiringly as she paused and ran her fingers through my hair.

"A Slytherin Princess suited for the Slytherin Prince."

Pansy stopped and stood in front of me, taking her pale hand out for me to shake. And as I looked down at it with her praising words echoing in my mind, my ears turned warm.

"Truce," I smirked, shaking her hand.

"Truce," Pansy said just as boldly as I did.

We smiled at each other before she broke off our handshake and took something out of her robe, handing it to me by placing it in my palm.

"Here," she said. "I'm usually in charge of handing these out."

I looked down at the silver ring, a snake crescent engraved at the top, casted in silver just like the ring Draco wore everyday. Though it was smaller and skinnier, more feminine than the one he wore. Every Slytherin student had one, everyone but me until this moment. So I slipped it into my right hand's ring finger and admired it, thanking Pansy who was still watching me intently.

"Perhaps in Slytherin," Pansy said proudly. "You'll make your real friends."